The thoughts of a (slighty eccentric & crazy) Canadian who happens to be obsessed with Abraham Lincoln, General William Tecumseh Sherman & the Civil War

Archive for the tag “anxiety”

Y’all, I’ll be honest – I’m going to be lazy with this one and just point you over to here. That is my review I wrote of this book back in March.

But I do have some stuff to add (I’m a chatterbox just like my man Cump was…)

It still remains one of my favourite books about Lincoln. It is one I most certainly will read again. In the months since I’ve read it, I’ve recommended it to numerous people. These are not just people who love Lincoln. In fact, quite a few of them do not know much about him. The reason I recommended it though? Because we were discussing depression and I told them how much this book helped me to understand my own depression. It was the first book that really spoke to me, and as I say in my earlier review, made me feel like “hey, you’re not alone”. I tell them how inspirational the book is and that in knowing that Abraham Lincoln suffered from depression (and at a time when it was not well understood) and he managed to do all the incredible things he did. I think a few of them have ended up reading it.

In reading more about Lincoln since finishing “Lincoln’s Melancholy”, I have come to truly realize how much his depression did challenge him and fuel him as a person. When I read about him, I’m always keeping this in mind and it truly has made me see him in a different light. It’s made reading Donald’s bio of “Lincoln” that much more interesting because I read between the lines, as one would say, and will think “Hmm, that could be why he’s being that way”.

The one thing I see the most as stemming from his depression is his empathy. Lincoln had an incredible amount of empathy and I think this is one of the many things about his personality that made him so ahead of his time. The best example I can think of involves General Sherman (I know. Y’all are so not surprised by that…) and just how empathetic Lincoln was to him when Sherman had his breakdown in 1862. O’Connell states in “Fierce Patriot” (side note: if y’all haven’t read that one, you need to. I read it in 2015 hence why it’s not being mentioned as a fav of mine from 2016), his biography about General Sherman, that:

Lincoln had suffered from deep bouts of depression since early manhood (he called it the “hypo”) and it’s likely he [Lincoln] recognized a similar condition lurking behind Sherman’s excessive pessimism. He also must have known from his own experience that these bleak episodes eventually passed and so remained open to giving his fellow sufferer additional responsibility once he [Sherman] recovered.

He goes on to write that “mental illness of any sort carried a tremendous stigma in nineteenth century America, but not with Lincoln when it came to a general he instinctively liked and believed in”

Cump

Hey, girl…

Of course I have to include a photo of my two favourite men 🙂

I could go on with other examples of Lincoln’s empathy but this is one that always comes to mind. And hey, any chance to mention my two favourite men in a blog post is always awesome. #goals #historycrush #hotties

“Lincoln’s Melancholy” did make me feel like I came to know Lincoln better. It very much is a book worth reading, especially if you love Abraham Lincoln and want to know more about him. Depression was very much a part of who he was just as was his sense of humour and his empathy, both of which, I believe, stem from him having depression. I know for myself, my sense of humour has been a sort of defence mechanism against depression since I was very young.

I’ll wrap up my post there. What are y’all reading right now? Better yet, what was your favourite book of 2016? I’ll be posting tomorrow what my favourite book of 2016 was.

Since I was six years old, I have had an immense love for Abraham Lincoln. He has been a constant in my life and knowing who he is and all that he accomplished has had an incredibly positive impact on my own life. On this, the 151st anniversary of his assassination, I decided to write a post about what Lincoln personally means to me.

Four words…

Hope. Perseverance. Kindness.Laughter.

These are words that come to mind when I think of what Abraham Lincoln means to me.

Why those four words?

HOPE…

Abraham Lincoln is someone who suffered from depression. He was a melancholy person. As someone who personally battles depression and anxiety, knowing he suffered and managed to get through and do all the amazing things he did, gives me hope. Hope that I can get through the days that are rough, that I can push through and come out maybe a bit stronger than I was before. It gives me hope that we all can push through.

PERSEVERANCE…

Abraham Lincoln’s humble origins show us that where we are from matters not. We can, just like he did, rise above that which holds us back, be it people, a place or, in the case of depression, ourselves. He shows us that we can always push forward and persevere. Always. And hey, this gives us hope, too.

KINDNESS…

Lincoln teaches us to find “the better angels of our nature” and “to have malice toward none”, no matter the situation. While he applied these words to a country that was at war, they can apply to any situation, big or small. These words remind me to be a good person and treat others well.

LAUGHTER…

You can see a slight smile in this photo of Lincoln. Thanks to one of my Twitter friends for sending this to me the other day. It brought a smile to my face on a day in which I needed to remember to smile

I can’t remember Lincoln without remembering his sense of humour. It is so very much apart of who he was. He has taught me to always remember to laugh, even in the face of depression. That laughter is good.

Hope. Perseverance. Kindness. Laughter.

It is these four words that are what Abraham Lincoln means to me. For me personally, this is his legacy. He has been a part of my life since I was six. That is 27 years now. Besides these four words, knowing who he is has brought me so much. Through him, I developed a lifelong love and passion for history. In developing a passion and love of history, I decided to pursue an education in the museum field and become an artifact conservator. It is also because of him I have met many wonderful, amazing, and caring people, especially in the past year. I’m so happy that I can call many of these people friends. I’m so grateful to have them in my life. I’ve learned so much from them.

As we remember Abraham Lincoln on the 151st anniversary of his assassination, it will be in different ways; it all depends on what he personally means to us. That is truly one of the things that is amazing about him. What he means to each of us, and what we believe his legacy to be, may be different from person to person. I am sure, however, that one thing we can all agree on is what an amazing, inspiring person he was and really, what he continues to be. It is because of this, he will never be forgotten and that his spirit lives on in us.

So, Lincoln, where ever you, thank you for all you did and continue to do. Thank you for giving us hope, for inspiring us, for helping us persevere and for making us remember to smile and laugh.